Monday, March 25, 2013

Crusty Butt

That's what Cecelia called our destination. Crested Butte, CO. Three single moms and seven kids aged 7-16 in one rent house. Often joined by a native, albeit familial, family of four. 18 hour drive (36 if you count the way back). If that sounds like a version of hell, let me assure you that it wasn't. Truly restorative.

It was my first Spring Break since B.C. - before Cecelia. She's 10. I'm slowly climbing the vacation priority ladder - I'll fall back to the bottom in a couple of years. I was determined to make the most of it.

Sure it had it's moments. Back strain carrying boxes of snacks and Vitamin Water in the house. Picking locks on bedroom doors. Getting caught in a snowstorm at the Sand Dunes National Park. Losing snow boots (7 year old) playing in snow that acted like quicksand. But they were eclipsed by moments like this.

"Mom, I am in Heaven. This is my best vacation ever. On my last day I was doing jumps!"

"I thought I would die when I moved to Level 3 and I got a new instructor. Mike was the best, but Cass is so cool! He uses words like 'Smooth' and 'Dude'. He taught me how to turn."

I learned how to cross country ski, snowshoe, and hike snow trails. This was right before landing hip deep in a hidden rut. Scary and fun is my cup of tea.

We pranked. We cooked. We cleaned. We baked. We drank rivers of coffee. We watched the biggest snowfall of the year on our last day, but we got out of the mountains safely.

I want to do it again next year. I am on call this week, but I am more relaxed, despite being paged at the crack of dawn for an early appendix frozen, than ever.

I hope everyone had as fantastic a Spring Break as my first in over 10 years. Thanks to Katie, Becky, Noah, Craig, Tapp, Wesley, Caleb, Bridget, Hadley, Corbin, Cecelia, and Jack. What a wonderful whirlwind of a week.